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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22616464">Day 039</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Josh_the_Bard/pseuds/Josh_the_Bard'>Josh_the_Bard</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>A Year in Kirkwall [39]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age II</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-20 03:54:46</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>697</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22616464</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Josh_the_Bard/pseuds/Josh_the_Bard</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>A Year in Kirkwall [39]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1589257</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Day 039</h2></a>
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    <p>Templar Paxley walked the streets of Lowton scanning the unfamiliar faces of the locals for any sign in ill intent. Knight Commander Meredith had sent him there as part of the expanded authority of the templars. He was wearing a modified version of the uniform of the guards to represent his new position, as was his companion, Hugh. The two templars were patrolling, but not for escaped mages or magical catastrophe for once. With a significant portion of the guards blockading the Alienage and the Captain occupied with talks with the elven leadership, if fell to the templars to keep the day-to-day order.</p><p>The people were looking at them with open hostility. They knew them for templars, despite their new uniforms, and many of them probably had friends and family who were mages. Some of them might be mages themselves, hiding in plain sight. If a mage was not discovered immediately upon discovering their powers it could be difficult to identify them. If a mage didn’t use magic, how were you to tell they were even a mage? This question was forefront in Paxley’s mind whenever he was outside the Gallows. The Champion of Kirkwall hid in plane sight for years before being discovered. Was he very careful about not using his magic? Or was he responsible for all the templars who had gone missing over the years? Hawke had earned the trust of Knight Captain Cullen by uncovering the apostate plot to force possession on templar recruits. Or had he only pretended to fix the problem, thereby allowing the mages to continue planting spies in the order?</p><p>Paxley looked over at Hugh. They had been friends for years, even before joining the templars, but Hugh was less fervent in his convictions then most. He was soft on the mages, allowed them more freedom then was safe. Was he soft hearted, or was something more sinister at work?</p><p>They stopped at a market stall so Hugh could purchase some melons. He had a fondness for them and Cullen had told them to try to make the locals see them as people, not just templars or guards.</p><p>The woman selling the melons wore long sleeves despite the heat of the day. Why was this? Was she hiding something? Paxley watched her carefully as Hugh haggled. When she reached to take his coins her sleeve slid up her arm slightly, revealing a mess of scars. Scars that were commonly the result of repeated use of blood magic. Paxley reached out and grabbed her by the rist, pulling her sleeve up past the elbow.</p><p>“Look Hugh,” he said. “The marks of a bloodmage.”</p><p>“What!” the woman exclaimed in feined alarm.</p><p>“These scars are from blood magic rituals,” Paxley explained. Several passersby had stopped to watch. A few looked ready to jump in and intervene. “This is templar business,” he told them. “Move along.”</p><p>“Paxley,” Hugh said, putting a hand on his shoulder. “We are not here to root out mages. Just to keep an eye on petty crime and the like.”</p><p>“Yesterday,” Paxley snapped, “my partole came across the body of a merchant out on the coast. Every drop of blood had been drained from his body. There are blood mages loose in the city and we have found one!”</p><p>“Please Sir Knight,” the woman cried out, tears welling up in her eyes. A clever deception. “When I was younger, I was struck by a persistent melancholy. I tried to take my own life but was spared from my folly by the grace of the Maker. I sing the chant every day and praise Andraste for my life.”</p><p>“We can’t just start grabbing citizens of the streets,” Hugh protested. </p><p>“Remember the demon of Darktown? Meredith knew there were mages at the clinic and waited in order not to be disruptive, and look how that turned out. So many died because we hesitated. Do you want to be back here tomorrow cleaning up bodies?”</p><p>“No,” High said.</p><p>“If she isn’t a mage Meredith will clear her and she gets to go back home, no fuss,” Paxley added. </p><p>High nodded and together the two temples hauled the sobbing woman to the gallows.</p>
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